Gardner mayor: Stagnant pay discourages quality

Mayor Mark P. Hawke said the City Council’s vote against pay increases means the mayor will go without an increase for eight years before it can be considered again.

The mayor acknowledged that the City Council made its decision based on its research, but although the last raise the mayor received was greater than normal, it was long overdue.

“It was due to 10-20 years of not raising the pay,” he said.

The mayor also said in private industry the idea of keeping up leadership pay levels is twofold. The first, he said, is to retain good people, and the second is to ensure if good people leave, good people will apply to replace them. He said being mayor means accepting a hometown discount, however the raise would have allowed the mayor to keep pace with people who report to the mayor.

Mr. Hawke said he does not believe the mayor has to be the highest paid official in the city, but stagnating pay will drop the position lower on the list.

The council voted down its own raise as well as the raises for the mayor and School Committee. Councilor Kim Dembrosky said the position of mayor is not comparable to private business because the only qualifications to be mayor are being 18 and a registered voter.

If it doesn’t attract highly qualified candidates, why aren’t we offering it at minimum wage?” he asked. “This should be a position held by an educated professional.”